Labrador Retriever

Labrador Retriever

Being a dog loved by almost everyone, one would tend to wonder what exactly is it made of? How can you tell if a Lab is truly a Lab? Let is get into the more detailed explanation of what your lab is supposed to look like.

The distinguishing characteristics of the Labrador Retriever are their short, dense, weather-resistant coat, otter tail, clean-cut head, and kind eyes (puppy eyes). Life span may range from 10 to 12 years depending on health care of the canine member of the family.

Color

Generally speaking, a lab has only 3 colors: Black, Yellow, and Chocolate brown. Some yellow may range from deep yellow to faded almost white color. Some think that health is related to color. Although no study shows that color is a determinant of factors such as diseases and temperament, it is rather obvious that black Labs have a greater tendency to overheat as its color absorbs heat.

Body

The height from shoulders of the adult male down, is 22.5 to 24.4 inches whilst in the female it should be 21.5 to 23.5 inches. If there is a half an inch variation from the given sizes, then it is a candidate for disqualification from the show ring. It just shows that in conformation, size does really matter. But disqualification from the show ring does not indicate that what you have is not a Labrador.

Ideal weight would be 65-80 lbs. for male and 55-70 lbs. for female, but Labradors being heavy eaters can easily even go at 100 lbs..

The ideal form of the Lab is short-coupled, with well-sprung ribs. Its body should be long enough to allow a straight efficient stride but should never appear to have long legs.

Head

They should have wide skull. The lips should fall in a curve towards its throat. Nose color for blacks and yellows should be balck while the chocolate ones have brown. A pink nose is subject to disqualification. (I believe it is related to albinism genes involved). The nose should be wide and the nostrils well developed.

The upper teeth should overlap the lower ones when in a bite formation. Missing molars of can result to disqualification in the show. Healthy teeth are whitish yellowish in color.

Eyes should be in any color as indicated in the breed color: black and yellow labs- brown eyes, chocolate labs- brown or hazel eyes. The eye rims should either be black or yellow.

Labrador Retriever

Neck

The neck should never be very short. It should serve the important function of the Labrador retriever which is to retrieve from the ground.

Forequarters and Hindquarters

They must have  muscular forequarters and must be well balanced. The ideal length of the shoulder blade should be equal to the length of the upper arm. Legs should be perpendicular to the ground. The elbows should be close to the ribs without looseness. The feet are compact with well-arched toes. One cannot forget the webbed toes of the Labrador built for swimming.

Tail

We all know that the lab is very adept in swimming. And to help it in its swimming is the very important otter tail which is thick from base and gradually thinner till the tip. The tail is basically used for steering.

Coat

This has got to be the most distinguishable feature of the lab. Being a dog for the weather of no mercy, the lab must have short, dense, oiled, weather resistant and water-resistant coat. In blacks, the shiny black coat is a sign of a healthy Labrador.

Movement

As described in a lot of other books, the breed must be free and effortless in their gait. No weaving should occur, and the legs should form straight lines. Any abnormality in the movement should be due for a check up in the Vet’s.

Temperament

Generally, everyone agrees to the lovable attitude of the Labrador. As long as it is in normal conditions, the labrador is almost always friendly. The presence of a good temper is a MUST in labs. That is why the labradors are very good for training. Due to its friendliness, the lab is not very much of a guard dog. But one thing is for sure, they are people loving dogs.

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